Trap.



G. W. NISTLE, DECD.

w. c. NISTLE ADMINISTRATOR.

TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11, 1911.

1,173,373. Patehted Feb.29,1916.

THB COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

GEORGE W. NISTLE, OF MUSKEGON,

MICHIGAN; WINDSOR C. NISTLE, OF MUSKEGON,

MICHIGAN, ADMINISTRATOR OF SAID GEORGE W. NISTLE, DECEASED.

TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Application filed March 11, 1911. Serial No. 613,685.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. NIs'rLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Muskegon, county of Muskegon, and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to valves or traps used in vacuum steam systems of heating for automatically collecting and draining away the air and water of condensation which accumulates in the radiator or other apparatus.

The salient objects of the invention are to provide a construction which prevents chattering of the valve resulting from the unequal pressure in the return pipe and the radiator; to provide a construction in which the vacuums in said radiator and return pipe act together to hold the valve securely against its seat; to provide a construction of the above character having a by-pass communicating directly with the return pipe and radiator outlet and sealed from the trap proper whereby the latter may be cleaned without interrupting the action of the radiator; to provide a construction which permits of the by-pass itself being readily cleaned in case it for any reason becomes stopped or clogged; to provide a construction in which the opening of the by-pass automatically cuts off the trap from the radiator and vice versa; to provide a construction in which the trap and float are so formed as to prevent breaking or cracking of the trap in case of freezing; to provide a construction characterized by its economy of manufacture and simplicity and reliability in operation; and in general to provide an improved construction of the character referred to.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved trap. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same with the cover removed and parts shown in dotted lines and in section. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end elevation taken on lines 3, 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a detail view showing the manner of adjusting the valve-lever. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the float.

' Heretofore many traps have been devised for automatically withdrawing the air and watery condensate from the radiators or coils in vacuum return or differential steam heating systems, but all of them have been more or less objectionable for one reason or another. Ditficulty has particularly been experienced in preventing chattering of the float due to the varying and unequal vacuums in the radiator and return pipe when the steam is out off from the former. As is well known, this chattering is at times exceedingly objectionable and annoying, particularly at night in residences and hotels when the steam is usually cut off. Various expedients have been resorted to to eliminate or reduce this chattering, which, however, have been only temporary and more or less unsuccessful. The present invention effectually obviates the above diiilculty and at the same time attains the other objects heretofore mentioned.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 designates as a whole the trap casing, the lower portion 2 of which is substantially conical in shape, the inner wall of the end 2 being preferably inclined at an angle of about forty-five degrees. At one side the conical lower part 2 is provided with a slightly raised valve seat 3 having a valve outlet 4 leading to the return passage 5. The latter is preferably internally screw-threaded as shown at 6 to receive the end of the return pipe in the usual manner. The valve seat 3 is as shown inclined relative to the main body of the trap, preferablv at an angle of about forty-five degrees. Vithin the trap is seated a float 7 having a cylindrical upper end 8 and conical lower portion 9, which is preferably inclined the same as the conical extension 2 of the trap. This float 7 is closed at its upper end and open at its lower en It will be noted that the shape of the float and trap are such that in case of freezing, the expansion of the water will simply force the float and ice upwardly instead of cracking the walls of the trap.

The casing 1 is provided at one side with an extension 10 having a passage 11 communicating at one end with the pipe 12 leading to the radiator and at the other end with the inlet port 13 leading to the trap. and a bypass 14 leading directly to the return pipe. The port '13 and by-pass 14 are controlled by means of a four-w-ay cook 15 mounted in a suitableseat formed in the extension 10. The cock 15 is provided With a triangular key-way 16 by which the cockmay be turned in an obvious manner. The by-pass 14 or cock 15 may be cleaned through a passage 17 normally closed by a screw 18. The trap is provided with a cover- 19 and the extension 10 is provided with alock nut 20 by which the trap may be secured to the pipe 12.

Just above. the port 13v the; casing 1 is. provided with a recessv 21 adapted to receive the. hook-shaped end 22 of the valve lever 23. This lever extends across. both. the inlet port 13, and the discharge. port, 4i and is securedat its. lower end to the side. of the float 7 The. upper end of the lever preferably. hooks over the extension of the screwthread 18. of the cover 19 in order to prevent. l ater-al displacement of the lever and float. Leakage through;- the port 4 may be increased. or decreased by means of adjusting screw 23- This adj ustment. enables the trap to.be, used on radiators of: different size, a large radiator. requiring a larger leal rsopening through the port 4. thana small one. An inspection of Fig. 4 will show that; the valve lever 23 isheld' out of contact with the, seat 3 by means of they Screw 23 which can. be. adjusted to. provide a greater or lesser distance between the lever and valve; seat. The eflect of. this. opening.- is to cause a. leak: between the casing and discharge 5- tl irough the port t even though the. weight of; the float tends to hold the valve. lever against its seat. If there be p ze d l 1 ope i g b e n. he a v lever 23v an l. e per en. t e f o t n t i d the; trap will become inoperative. as there would be no.op.eI 1ing;for the air to escape out of the trap An; examination of Figs. 1 and 2 will show that the casing end. of the port 13 is countersunle The diameter of the countersink being large enough to form an opening on either sideof the valve lever 23, thus. at all' times providinga passage into the casing through the port 13, even though the weight 0f the float presses the valve level;- 23 against the seat 3. This discharge issuflicient to carry ofl themaximum quan-titvof water that will ever be condensed bv the radiator to which the trap. isattached. The Opening through the countersink of? the port 13; is; not greatly influencedbythe. adjustment of the screw-237 since the. port 13 is quite close to the pivot end of the lever 23.

The. operation of; the device is: asfollowsz-Undernormal conditions theline of flotation of the float is slightly above the. port 4. Assuming that the device has been in; use. previously; the. waterline. otthe trap; (the level: of the top;- of the water in the trap). is. at. or; below the. port owing;

means of the leak due to the adjusting screw 23. The water of condensation formed by the steam entering the radiator will soon commence to followthe air and run into the casing. It should be here noted that owing to, the fact that the capacity of the leak passage through the port 4 is relativelysmall, and is therefore unable to, carry fl" a large amount ofwater, the water soon commences to fill up the casing, covers the port 4t and seals it. against the passage. of steam. The flow of water increasing, thelevel of the water will of course rise higher and lift the float. The valve lever 23 will move away from the seat. 3, openingthe port 4, allowing the. water to run out rapidly. Since. the rate 0t flow of air through an orifice is. many. times. greater than that of Water, under the same conditions it. follows that the capacity of the leak of the port t may be quite small, and insuflicient to carry ofl' much water, and yet may be made great enough to rapidly carry ofl. the contained air in the. radiator. Under normal conditions, the. steam being lighter than the air, remains at the top. of theradiator, and the small amount of air which is. carried into the. radiator bv the steam; remains at. the ttom above the ater- In practice. continual changes are-going on. in. the amount of water which. isbeing;

condensed, and. which runs into the casing. This results in the intermittent action. of the float 7 which is continually rising and falling. Theweight ofthefioat and floatation level are so arranged as. to. permit, this I intermittent action of the float at'times. tov allow. the level of the. water. to tall below the upper edge of the port 4. and momentarily unseal it and allow the. air toescape; excess" of water again entering. the trap will reseal the opening. In practice under certain conditions; a very smallquantity of steam may pass. out owing to, thisintermih tent action of? the float. but unlessthe. trap; has been improperly adjusted the quantity of; steam which escapes.- will be. extremely minute, since any steam entering the trap.

will itself condense to a certain eXtent and. tend to seal the opening.

Itwill be noted that while the cook 15 isin, the. position shown in Fig. 1

the by-pass 14; is cut off from the radiator.

radiatcr; he raps; eal itr m YVhen. the cock isturned so-as-i to; open the. bypass to 'munication' with the radiator and can then be readily examined or cleaned by simply removing the cover 19.

In its broader aspects the invention is not limited to the details of construction shown, as it is apparent changes can be made without in any sense departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a trap for vacuum or differential steam systems, the combination with a casing sealed from the atmosphere having an inlet port adapted to communicate with a steam fixture and an outlet port adapted to be connected to a vacuum return pipe, both of said ports being located above the normal water level of said trap, a float in said casing, a valve member extending over both of said ports and actuated by said float so that a vacuum pull through either of said ports tends to seek the valve member.

2. In a trap for vacuum or differential steam systems, the combination with a casing sealed from the atmosphere having an inlet port adapted to be connected to a steam fixture and an outlet port adapted to be connected to a vacuum return pipe, both of said ports being located above the normal water level of said trap, a float in said casing and a valve member connected to the float and extending over said ports, said valve member closing but not sealing said outlet port so as to permit a leakage opening through said port and means for adjusting said valve member to vary said leakage opening.

3. In a trap for diflerential steam systems, the combination with a casing having an inlet and an outlet port both located above the normal water level in said casing, a float in said casing partially submerged and extending below said ports and means associated with said ports and float for preventing chattering of the latter.

4. A trap for differential steam systems comprising a casing having a float chamber, the lower portion of which is inclined relative to the vertical, a float in said chamber and having its lower portion similarly inclined, said float chamber having inlet and discharge ports situated above the normal water level of said chamber and a valve member connected to and lifted by said float and extending over said ports.

5. A trap comprising a casing having a float chamber, a float in said chamber and normally partly submerged in water, said casing having inlet and discharge ports above the normal water level, said float being closed at its upper end and open at its lower end, the lower end of said float being of less cross-sectional area than that portion of the float adjacent the normal water level, and a valve member connected to said float and controlling said discharge port.

6. A trap for diflerential steam systems comprising a casing having an inclined float chamber provided with inlet and discharge ports located above the normal water level of said chamber, a float in said chamber extending below said ports and having its lower portion inclined relative to the vertical, a valve seated in said inclined portion of the casing and a valve member actuated by said float and extending over said discharge port.

7 A trap for differential steam systems comprising a casing having a float chamber provided with inlet and outlet ports located above the normal water level of said chamber, the sides of said float chamber converging inwardly toward their lower end,

a float seated in said chamber and having its lower portion similarly inclined and extending below said ports and normally partially submerged in water, and a valve member actuated by said float and covering but not sealing said outlet port to permit leakage opening through the latter and means for adjusting said valve member relative to said outlet port to vary said leakage opening.

8. A trap for diflerential steam systems comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet port, the latter having an inclined valve seat, a float in said casing, a valve lever actuated by said float and having its fulcrum above the outlet port, said valve lever having a portion thereof fitting over said valve seat and closing but not entirely sealing said outlet port.

9. A trap comprising a casing having a float chamber, inlet and outlet ports in said float chamber, inlet and outlet conduits communicating with the ports in said float chamber, and a bypass between the inlet and outlet conduits, a float, a valve member operated by the float and controlling the port leading to said outlet conduit, and a valve for alternately opening the by-pass and closing the inlet port, or closing the bypass and opening the inlet port.

10. A trap comprising a casing having an inlet and discharge conduit and a float chamber, and having an inlet port be tween the inlet conduit and chamber, and an outlet port between said chamber and outlet conduit, a float in said chamber, a valve member connected to the float and controlling said outlet port, said casing having a by-pass leading directly from the inlet conduit to the discharge conduit, and means for alternately sealing said inlet port and bypass from communication with said inlet conduit.

11. In a trap for differential steam systems, the combination withacasing adapted to communicate at one point with a return pipe and adapted to communicate at another point with a radiator or coil, of a float chamber formed in said casing, a float in said chamber, said chamber having an inlet port for communicating with the radiator and an outlet pipe for communicating With said return pipe, a valve operated by the float for opening and closing said outlet port, a by-pass for affording direct com-' munication with the radiator and return pipe, and a valve member for alternately sealing the inlet port and by-pass from communicating with said radiator.

12. A trap comprising a casing having an inlet conduit and a discharge conduit, and a float chamber provided With an inlet port affording communication between the inlet conduit and fioat chamber, and with a discharge port leading from the float chamber to the discharge conduit and a by-pass formed in the casing and leading directly from the inlet conduit, and a valve member Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the member.

GEORGE W. NISTLE. Witnesses:

LOIS FORCE, F. L. BELKNAP.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

